Cheap pellet surprise

Okay, so I’ve commented several times in the past about the RWS Basics being the best cheapie pellet in my experience.  It’s not uncommon to be getting 1/2” to 3/4” groups at 25 yards, not just in one rifle but most of them.  Granted, groups that are 2-3 MoA aren’t going to make me stop buying JSB and H&N but there’s a lot of fun recreational shooting that can be done with these wadcutters and the fact they can sometimes be purchased for $5 for a tin of 500 makes for cheap practice on spinners and other reactive targets.  Oh, and a wadcutter hits house sparrows like a wrecking ball so they can be pretty useful for pest control as well.

Anyway, yesterday evening after work I decided to try them in my little 2400KT HPA conversion and promptly laid down a couple of groups at 25 yards measuring 0.31” and 0.25”.  In other words, they are flirting with MoA and that’s just not something I ever expect with a wadcutter at that distance.  Pretty cool!  These aren’t even sandbagged, just shooting off a pillow with the buttstock shouldered so they are subject to pulse and respiration.

If you don’t have some, I say give them a try sometime.

Lizzie, I hope they work out for you.  Something I forgot to mention is that they have tended to group decently even at velocities much higher than the 500-600fps typically recommended for wadcutters.  Not supersonic...highest I’ve run them is 950 - 980fps in a couple of rifles and they did fine.  And they are the favorite in my CP1-M pistol at about 500fps.  Very versatile pellet for modest distances out to 30-35 yards.

Jason... got any links to the $5 tins?

Thanks Lizzie.  I've usually gotten them from Amazon and Walmart but their prices right now are way higher than usual.  I noticed the AoA photo shows the 500ct tin I'm accustomed to but the description says 300.  I'm not sure which is correct.  I would have assumed 500 if the price wasn't so low at $4.  RWS has some oddball tin counts for some of their pellets so I wouldn't rule out the 300 number.

Yeah it's pretty careless.  I just checked Pyramyd and it looks like the new tins are indeed 300ct.
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/rws-diabolo-basic-177-cal-7-0-grains-wadcutter-300ct?p=234

So yeah that puts AoA's price on a pretty even footing with CPHP.  Although a decent domed pellet will usually perform better than a wadcutter at longer distances, I haven't had much luck with the quality of Crosman's pellets over the last few years.  The best of them, whether .177 or .22 cal, have been what I consider to be a 30 yard pellet, and quite a few tins were barely suitable for plinking duty.  During this time, the RWS Basics have consistently outperformed them.  That really surprised me for a wadcutter.

All around good news. I have several mid range pumpers and springers, rifles and pistols that we plink with. The Daisy wadcutters have been our "go to" pellets for them but they are getting harder to find. We've also been looking for a cheap replacement for the China made Winchester domes that are now being made in Italy and don't perform as well. These may fit that bill as well. I see the Walmart occasionally carries some RWS pellets. Maybe there are some "site to store" options.

Yep, thems the ones. I usually find them at Midway USA.
Thanks, I grabbed 3.

Wow! So glad you started this thread, because I thought to try some of these pellets in the new (to me) R7 I got this morning.
I haven't shot more than a total of 50 pellet through her since she arrived via UPS.
A few minutes ago, I recalled this thread, and thought I'd give the pellets a try.
At 65 feet, with a gun I've never seen nor held until this morning, and without having done anything besides two scope adjustments, this was 5 consecutive shots.

Thanks for the heads up N.T. .  I was having trouble finding a wad cutter for paper shooting out of a hot PCP and setteled on the RWS Supermags.  It was kind of a desperation move that paid off. Since then I have tried them in several other guns and been VERY happy with the groups and value. I do sort them by weight, They are sold at 10.3 Gn,  I break them down into 10.2 and 10.4 with everything else used for leading barrels and CO2 pistol fodder.

 I'd had bad times with all the RWS about ten years back so had been avoiding them. That was back of when the premiers were shooting better so it was no big deal.    I may need to try those Basics since you brought it up now for a little more speed.  Especially since you mention them carrying distance well. Those Supemags are dropping like rocks out of the slower shooters.  Predictable rocks but still rocks.